Only Ashes
by zigzag
Summary: War ruins lives. This is the story of two boys who lost everything, and their struggle to find something to live for. HD, soft slash.


**Only Ashes**

Disclaimer: Of course, I own nothing.

A/N: Another new one. Just to let you know- I haven't abandoned my other stories, we're just not getting on too well at the moment. Love you all xx

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_I can tell as you turn,  
I smell the sulfur so clear.  
And fire's a beautiful sound.  
And the wings that you burn turn to ashes my dear,  
and ashes just fall to the ground._

'**_Something Corporate- Only Ashes'_**

_-------_

You were shaking so hard you could hardly grip your wand and he was mocking you, smirking insanely at the look on your face, he had no heart and so it could not be shattered by your tears. Thorns cut into my arms as I watched from within the dead, tangled bushes. Rivulets of scarlet streamed from the mouth of the skull, burned blackly into my flesh.

"Given up then, Harry Potter? All your friends are dead, by your own hand, and you're too weak to fight me?"

You winced, as if each syllable he spoke was a shard of ice piercing your skin. Pale cheeks, nose and lips plastered in blood and dirt, your eyes the only colour in your face, blank and dark with hate- the colour of death.

"This is your last chance, Harry Potter, join me or face the same fate as those stupid enough to believe in you."

Your features were tightened with every ounce of effort you had left in your body, even from this distance I could see that your knuckles were bone-white as your wand shuddered under the force of your fist. Tears leaked from beneath your scrunched eyelids and blood dripped from your lip where your teeth had broken the skin. You whispered a word in a voice that was so broken it was almost non-existent. In the deathly silence I heard it.

"Never."

I watched you sway dangerously, your legs close to giving way, but you refused to sink to your knees, you didn't have the strength to fight but you would not kneel before him. His wand was pointed straight at your heart.

"Avad-"

"Avada Kedavra!" Branches tore at my cheeks as I lunged forward, clutching the wand I hadn't even known I was holding, and for a second I was blinded by green light. A terrible shriek pierced the icy air.

When my sight returned I found myself sprawled on the damp ground, thick with mud. The stillness was being broken by heart-wrenching sobs and, as I looked up, I saw they were coming from you, You were crouched on the filthy ground, body shaking, hugging your knees.

I dug my fingers into the sludgy earth and crawled towards you, too shocked to do much but avoid the heap of black material that had formally been the most feared wizard of all time. I reached your side and collapsed against your shuddering form, so exhausted that I immediately slipped into unconsciousness.

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"You're alright, I can't believe it. You're ok, it's ok, I'm so glad, so glad..." I could hear before I could see, tearful mumblings, desperate and yet almost overflowing with relief. My vision slowly cleared and I could make out a tall figure, a man, knelt beside you on the muddy ground, arms clutching you to him as if you were all he had left in the world; if I had been thinking clearly at that moment it may have occurred to me that that was probably true. I made to lift my head off the ground and everything in my line of sight began spinning, a moan escaped my lips.

The man with you in his arms turned his head sharply towards me and let out a short gasp. I recognised him after a few moments, Lupin, our third-year Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. You raised your head shakily from his chest, blood had dried on your face and collar and you were plastered in dirt, your emerald eyes were red and you were squinting against the morning light. A few clean streaks down your cheeks, exposing the skin beneath, showed that you had been crying profusely.

Lupin, obviously oblivious to my identity, stared at me with a hint of suspicion in his red-rimmed eyes but shuffled cautiously towards me.

"Who are you?" I was in no way offended by his edginess, he obviously suspected I could be a Death Eater, he was right. I opened my mouth to reply but found my throat too torn to produce a single word.

"Malfoy" your throat sounded as damaged as mine felt, but you were capable of speech as you fixed your eyes on me, hands still clinging to Lupin's tattered robes "Draco Malfoy."

Lupin's eyes widened and he scrambled to his feet, pulling your arm over his shoulder and stroking your hair in comfort as he helped you take shaky steps towards me. Suddenly a bolt of panic shot through me and I struggled to pull myself backwards, away from the two of you, now stood above me. I couldn't do it, my limbs were too weak and I was sure at least one was broken.

"Calm down, Draco" Lupin's trembling voice was soothing "the last thing we're going to do is hurt you. Merlin, someone beat us to that, I didn't even recognise you." He was kneeling before me now, one arm wrapped securely over your shoulders, the other caressing my bruised cheekbone. I winced and flinched away from his touch.

"He's a Death Eater" you told Lupin with warning in your broken voice. Well done, Potter, you always did have an excellent grasp of the essentials.

"He's only a boy" Lupin replied, eyeing my dirty face critically. Anger surged in my chest; who was he to call me 'just a boy', to assume he knew anything about me?

I was struck by a sudden bout of painful coughing; when it subsided I found my voice.

"I could kill you" I rasped pathetically, knowing I had no energy to do any such thing "you don't know what I-"

"I'm sure you could" Lupin replied calmly, if a little hoarsely "but certainly not in the state you're in now. Now let me have a look at you." He ran a hand over my arms and legs, casting spells to repair broken bones and clean my more serious wounds. I sensed a few of my ribs were also cracked but didn't mention it; I still valued my pride far too highly. He had obviously cast various healing charms on you earlier because your eyes were no longer watering in pain. "We need to get away from here, home... or Grimmauld Place, I think." He slid an arm under my back and I was able to sit up, grabbing my wand from the ground and sliding it inside my robes. He pulled us both to our feet; you on his left, me on his right.

"No" your voice sounded desperate "we have to look first, find-"

"I've looked, Harry, they're all..." Lupin's voice cracked and I turned to see tears sliding down his cheeks. He wiped at them and clutched us both to him "hold on to me." And I felt the sudden sensation of being roughly thrown-around as Lupin Apparated, taking us both with him.


End file.
